Folding or other device



mm a, 1930. w, mw agm mw FOLDING OR OTHER DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1.930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 9, 1930. D. .1. SCOT? ,7 ,757

' FOLDING on OTHER DEVICE ZSfieota-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1930 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID J. SCOTT, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ISABELLA SCOTT AND DAVID J. SCOTT, EXECUTORS OF THE ESTATE OF WALTER SCOTT) DECEASED, DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME OF WALTER SCOTT & COMPANY, OF PLAIN FIELD, NEW

JERSEY FOLDING OR OTHER DEVICE Application filed February 21, 1980. Serial No. 480,244.

This invention relates to folding or other devices; and the main object and feature of the invention is to prevent chokes and consequent stoppage of the press.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is disclosed in several concrete and preferred forms in which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of a standard folding device to which the invention may be applied, together with a diagrammatic representation of a former folder associatedtherewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the elements shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view, partly broken awav, of the safety-gate;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing a modified form of the invention.

Although the operation of the modern newspaper folder is relatively dependable, there are, nevertheless, occasional lapses from proper operation due to various causes. Instances of these causes are: the cutting knife may become dull and refuse to cut; the cutting rubber may become worn in the slot that is formed in it by the knife and may not sever the sheet entirely; some of the rosin oil used to paste the webs together may come through on the cut and so smear the parts with its sticky substance as to cause the paper to adhere where it should not; the points of the impaling pins, which act as sheettaking devices, may break off due to crystallization or other causes; or a weak spot in the paper may cause a tear that will release the paper from the pins. Any of these, and many other similar circumstances, may cause the lengthwise folded webs or sheets to leave the folding or sheet-carrying cylinders so that they can not be controlled. The uncontrolled sheets geucrally'catch somewhere or are car- 'ried around with the cylinder several times and. before the press can be stopped, an excessive amount of paper or material is drawn into the cutting and folding cylinders or into the folding rolls with consequent damage to the knives and rubbers. the breaking of pin points. the snapping off of folding blades, or the bending of folding rollers, etc. Any 50 one of these adverse conditions may arise,

according to the nature of the choke; they may all happen at one time.

1 indicates a cylinder,-here a sheet-carrying, cutting and folding cylinder,-and associated with this is, in this instance, a cutting cylinder 2 and a pair of folding rolls'3 and 4, the formerof which is stationary and the latter of which is yielding to a certain extent. 5 is a folding blade that is projected periodically beyond the periphery of the cylinder to fold sheets carried by cylinder 1 into the bite of rolls 3 and 4. 6 indicates a safety-gate that may be of any suitable construction but which is here shown as consisting of an L-shaped section. The long leg of the L lies adjacent cylinder 1 at a point in advance of the folding rolls; or, it may be considered as being in such spaced relation with respect to cylinders l and 2 that an excess of material, that has passed between said cylinders, will be prevented from passing between the safety-gate and cylinder 1 but will pass freely between the safety-gate and cylinder 2. To be precise: the distance 6 between the safety-gate and cylinder 1 is not materially greater than the distance 7 between roll 3 and-cylinder 1. The safety gate, as here shown, has end sections 8 that are bolted to the framework and is provided with shoes 9 that are closely adjacent to cylinder 1 or that may even touch said 0 linder to thereby prevent an accumulation of paper from moving said safety-gate toward cylinder 1. So, also, the short leg 10 of the safety-gate is immediately above roll 3 so as to prevent the choke from forcing said gate downwardl The sheet-taking devices on cylinder 1, in this instance, consist of impaling pins 11 that are normally projecting from' said cylinder but which are withdrawn by a suitable cam (not shown) so as to release the sheets when the folding blade tucks the pack into the bite of the folding rolls in a manner Well understood. In order to allow the sheet-taking devices to pass unimpeded between the safety gate and cylinder 1, said safety-gate has provision, here consisting of grooves 12, to enable the sheet-taking devices to clear the long leg of the L-shaped section. Also, with the construction shown, it is necessary to allow for an excessive thickness of material between the safety-gate and cylinder 1 immediately adjacent roll 3 because the folding blade, indelivering the pack: of sheets to rolls 3 and 4, necessarily slows-up the travel of the pack so that the tail end of. the pack slightly overlaps the leading edge of the succeeding pack of sheets. For this reason, it will be noted, the space between the safety-gate and cylinder 1 is greater adjacent roll 3 than at its entrance point, indicated by 6.

Normally, the paper passes between cylinders 1 and 2 where it is severed or otherwise acted upon and the cut sheets then pass between the safety-gate and cylinder 1, after which they are folded intov the bite of rolls 3 and 4. Should, however, an excessive amount of material pass between the cylinders, it will be prevented from passing between the safety-gate and cylinder 1 and will tend to pass out of the folder between the safety-gate and cylinder 2. This action will be facilitated by the extensible member 13 (a cutting knife and cheek blocks) carried by cylinder 2 which tends to knock theaccumulation out of the folder. So likewise, impaling pins 11 will plough through the paper and tend to shred it, thereby assisting the extensible member in disposing of the accumulation.

It will be seen that the foregoing construction isan important improvement over the art as it exists today as will appear from the following: So far as an excess of paper passing between cylinders 1 and 2 is concerned, it presents no problem because it is the custom to mount cylinder 2 in sliding boxes backed up by heavy springs, and as said cylinder is a eavy steel casting, it is practically impossible to damage it or cyliner 1. Folding rolls 3 and 4 are in a different case. Heretofore the safety feature has consisted in the yielding roll 4 which will customs permit a certain amount of surplus material to pass out between the rolls. Owing, however, to the gearing and other circumstances, the yielding movement of roll 4 can be but of limited extent and in many cases it has been found insufficient to take care of the excess of material. Moreover, the ielding of roll at will not prevent a choke etween roll 3 and cylinder 1 and consequent damage to said roll 3. It has therefore been to mount roll 3 in brackets carried by light or weak bolts that will shear ed in case of an excessive choke, and this has been the practice for many years. So, also. it has been proposed to mount one or both of the folding rolls in a shearing pin mounting. All of these methods are undesirable because, in the event that the parts are sheared off, some appreciable delay necessarily occuis inorder to make repairs. In a newspaper printing-office delay is traged and particularly so in one press plants.

Moreover, once the choke occurs, it may not i will be stopped by the safety-(gate and cannot pass to folding rolls 3 an The detail construction of the folding device itself has not been dwelt upon as, obviously, the invention can be applied to folders of different character. For instance, cylinder 2 may carry but one knife in which event cylinder 1 would have but two folding surfaces, and cylinder 2 could also have sheettaking devices to be used, when collecting, to trans e taking devices of c linder 1 to thereby superimpose one pack 0 sheets upon another. All this is well understood and is referred to here merely to indicate the true scope of the invention. In the specific form of the invention disclosed, 14 is the usual former folder with which are associated two sets of folding rollers 15 and 16. Web, or webs, 17 passes over the former folder and between the two sets of rollers and the thus longitudinally folded paper is brought into contact with cylinder 1, preferably at a point in advance of the tangential point of cylinders 1 and 2 so that the projecting impaling pins 11 will engage the web. Cylinder 1 is here provided with three sets of sheet-taking devices in the form of impaling pins 11, which are normally projecting from the surfrce of the cylinder and which are retracted at the proper time by cams (not shown) to release the pack of sheets. Adjacent each set of impaling pins is a cutting surface consisting of a rubber '18; and within the cylinder are also two folding blades 5 mounted on a rotat ing member 19 and themselves rotatable about their own axes by suitable gearing. Center rotation of shaft 20 of member 19 is disposed eccentrically with respect to the cylinder; and suitable gearing is provided whereby shaft 20 makes one and one-half revolutions to each revolution of cylinder l and while the folding blades make three revolutions about their own axes. By this means each folding blade has two non-working points within the cylinder surface and one working point or folding action while it is projecting through the cylinder at the place where folding rolls 3 and 4 are located. Cylinder 1 is a casting having its surface composed in part of bands or strips 21 so that the folding blades may project therethrough. Cylinder 2 is here one-half the diameter of cylinder 1- and carries two extensible cutting r a pack of sheets back to the sheet-- knives 13 having cheek blocks of usual construction. With this construction a pack of sheets is severed from the web, once to each third of a revolution of cylinder 1, by means of t e cooperating ltnf and the two c linders, and one set pins 11 con tinue to feed the web while nether set feeds the pack of sheets. As the pack of sheets comes opposite folding roll nd 4, a folding blade 5 tucks the pack of sheets between said rolls while simultaneously the pins release the pack from cylinder lv il hen it is desired to collect two successive packs of sheets, the cam that causes the withdrawal of pin 11 is moved out of the way for every other set of pins, and one of the folding blades is silenced in a manner well under stood. In this way, every other pack of sheets severed from the web will be carried completely around cylinder 1 and will be as sociated with another pack of sheets; after which, the double pack will be folded oil together when they reach rolls 3 and 4.

Yielding or swinging folding roll 4' ,is here mounted on arms 22 pivoted on stud 23 and connected to rod 24. Mounted on this rod is a spring 25 which, on movement of rod 24, is compressed against lever 26. Lever 26 is an adjusting lever pivoted on stud 27 and carrying on its upper end fork 28 in which fits crank pin 29 carried on crank shaft 30. Crank shaft 30 carries worm gear 31 that turns the crank shaft when worm 32 is turned by hand wheel 33. By this means, roll 4 can be set to yield to the number of pages it is desired to run.

In Fig. 4 isshown a modification of the invention in that the safety-gate here consists of a circumferentially grooved roller 34: driven, in the direction indicated, by a gear 35 or otherwise. This roll. 34 is set the same distance from cylinder 1 as roll 3.

I claim:

1. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarryinfg cylinder, a folding blade periodically projectin from said cylinder, a pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets, delivered by the folding blade, from the cylinder. and a safety-gate in such spaced relation to the cylinder, at a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the cylinder from passing-between said cylinder and safety=-gate and thence to the folding rolls.

2. In a folding device, r toting cylinder, sheet-taking devices pr ecting the surlode periodipair ,prced relation der to receive g-lolade, from 'n such spaced nee J L 1 relation ind a safety-a to the c lindsr, at a point in 'of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the sheet-taking devices from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, said safety-gate having provision to admit of the unimpeded passage of the sheet-taking devices.

3. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying cylinder, a folding blade periodically projecting from sa1d cylinder, a pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets, delivered-by the folding blade, from the cylinder, a safety-gate in such spaced re-' lation to the cylinder, at a point in advance of the location or". the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried b the cylinder from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, and shoes carried by the safety-gate closely adjacent to the surface of the cylinder" to prevent inward movement of said safetygate toward the cylinder.

4. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying cylinder, a folding blade periodicall projecting from said. cylinder, a pair of olding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets,

delivered by the folding blade, the cyl inder, and a safety-gate extending circumferentially of the exterior of the cylinder and in such spaced relation thereto, at a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of inaterialicarried by the cylinder from passing between said cyllnder and safety-gate and thence to the fold ing rolls. 7 7' 5. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying cylinder, a folding blade periodi cally projecting from cylinder, a pair of foldin rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets, delivered by the folding blade, from the cyl inder, and a safetygate'in such spaced relation to the cylinder, at a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the cylinder from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, and said safety-gate being so spaced with relation to the cylinder a point im mediately adjacent the rolls, as to admit of the presence oi an excess of material that point. 7

6. a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying cylinder, a folding blade periodically prey ng from said cylinder, pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation the cylinder from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, and said safety-gate being so spaced with relation to the cylinder, at a point immediately adjacent the rolls, as to admit of the presence of an excess of material at that point.

7. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying c linder, a folding blade periodically projecting from said cylinder, a pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets, delivered by the folding blade, from the cylinder, and a safety-gate consisting of an L- shaped section, the long leg of which is in such spaced relation to the cylinder, at a oint in advance of the location of the foldmg rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the cylinder from passing between said cylinder'and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, and the short leg of which extends adjacent to one of the folding rolls.

8. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying cylinder, a folding blade periodically pro ecting from said cylinder, a pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets, delivered by the folding blade, from the cylinder, a safety-gate consisting of an L-shaped section, the long leg of which is in such spaced relation to the cylinder, at a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the cylinder from passing between said cylinder and safet-ygate and thence to the folding rolls, and the short leg of which extends adjacent to one of the folding rolls, and shoes carried by the safety-gate closely adjacent to the surface of the cylinder to prevent inward movement of said safety-gate toward the cylinder.

.9. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying cylinder, a folding blade periodically projecting from said cylinder, a pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior ofthe cylinder to receive sheets, de-

livered by the folding blade, from the cylinder, and a safety-gate consisting of an L- shaped section, the long leg of which is .in such spaced relation to the cylinder. at a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the cylinder from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, and being in such spaced relation-to the cylinder at a point immediately adjacent the rolls as to admit of the presence of an excess of material at that point, and the short leg of which extends adjacent to one of the folding rolls.

10. In a folding device, a rotating sheetcarrying cylinder, a folding blade periodicallyprojecting from said cylinder, a pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets,

delivered by the folding blade, from the cylinder, and a safety-gate consistin of an L- shaped section, the long leg of w ich is in such spaced relation to the cylinder, at a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the cylinder from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, and being in such spaced relation to the cylinder at a oint immediately adjacent the rolls as to admit of the presence of an excess of material at that oint, and the short leg of which extends ad acent to one of the folding rolls, and shoes carried by the safety-gate closely adjacent to the surface of thecylinder to prevent inward movement of said safety-gate toward the cylinder.

11. In a folding device, a rotatingcylinder, sheet-taking devices projecting from the surface of said cylinder, a folding blade periodically projecting from said cylinder, a pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets. delivered by the folding-blade,.from the cylinder, and'a safety-gate consistin of an L-shaped section, the long leg of W ich is in such spaced relation to the cylinder, at

a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the sheet-takin g devices from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, said long leg having also provision to admit of the un1mpeded passage of the sheet-taking devices, and the short leg of which safety-gate extends adjacent to one of the folding rolls.

12. In a foldin device, a rotating cylinder, sheet-taking d evices projectin from the surface of said cylinder, a folding lade periodically projecting from said cylinder, :1. I

pair of folding rolls located in spaced relation to the exterior of the cylinder to receive sheets, delivered by the folding-blade, from the cylinder, and a safety-gate consistin of an L-shaped section, the long leg of whic is in such spaced relation to the cylinder, at a point in advance of the location of the folding rolls, as to prevent an excess of material carried by the sheet-taking devices from passing between said cylinder and safety-gate and thence to the folding rolls, said long leg having also provision to admit of the'unimpeded passage of the sheet-taking devices, and the short leg of which safety-gate extends adja'cent to one of the folding rolls, and shoes carried by the safety-gate closely adjacent to the surface of the cylinder to prevent inward movcment of said safety-gate toward the cylinder.

13. In a paper handling device, the combination of a pair of cylinders rotating in opposite directions to co-act on material passing between them, and a safety-gate in fss preveiit' an excessof material, t at has passed between the cylinders, from passing between one of said cylinders and said safety-gate and to admit of its passing between the other of said cylinders and said safety-gate.

14. In a )a-per handling device, the combination 0 a 's'heet-carryin cylinder and another cylinder, said cylin ers rotating in opposite directions to co-acton material passing between them, and a safety-gate in such spaced relation to the cylinders as to prevent an excess of material, that has passed between the c 'linders, from passing between one of said cy inders and said safety-gate and to admit of its passing between the other of said cylinders and said safety-gate.

15. In a paper handling device, the combination of a sheet carrying cylinder and a cutting cylinder, said cylinders rotating in opposite directions to cut material pa'ssim between them, and a safety-gate in such spaced relation to the cylinders as to prevent an excess'of material, that has passed between the cylinders, from passing between said sheet-carrying cylinder and said safety gate andto admit of its passing between the cuttin cylinders and said safety-gate.

16. I n a paper handling device, the combination of a pair of cylinders rotating in opposite directions to co-act on material passing between them, sheet-taking devices projecting from one of said cylinders, an extensible element projecting from the other of said cylinders, and a safety-gate in such spaced relation to the cylinders as to prevent an excess of materialf that has passed be tween the cylinders, rom passing between the safety-gate and the cylinder having the sheet-taking devices and to admit of its pass ing between the other of said cylinders and the safety-gate, and said safety-gate having provision to admit of the unimpeded passage of the sheet-takin device's, whereby said excess of material is shredded by the sheettaking devices and knocked out of the device by the extensible element.

17. In a paper handling device, the com bination of a sheet-carrying cylinder and a cutting cylinder, said cylinders rotating in opposite directions to cut material passing between them, sheet-taking devices projecting from said sheet-carrying cylinder, an extensible cutting element projecting from the cutting cylinder, and a safet -gate in such spaced relation tothe cylin era as to revent an excess of material, that has passed tween the cylinders, from passing between knocked out of the, device by the extensible cut-ting element.

1.8. In a folding device, the combination of ashe'et-car; ,ing cylinder and another cylinder, saidlcy inders rotatin in opposite directions to co-act on materia passing between them, a folding blade periodicall projectof folding rolls located'in spaced relation to the exterior of the sheet-carrying c linder to receive sheets, delivered b the olding blade, from said cylinder, an a safety-gate in such spaced relation to the cylinders, at a point'in advance of the folding rolls as to revent an excess of material, that has passed etween the cylinders, from passing between the safety-gate and said sheet-carrying cylinder and thence to the folding rolls and to admit of itspassing between the other of said cylinders and said safety-gate.

19. In a rotary folder, cutting mechanism, folding mechanism, and a gate, located between the cutting and folding mechanism, to allow the passage of only so much material as the folding mechanism can safely handle.

20. In a rotary folder transverse cutting mechanism, transverse foldin mechanism, and a safety gate located in a vance of the folding mechanism to arrest and expel excessive thicknesses of material.

21. In a rotary folder, folding rollers, folding blades cooperating therewith, and means to prevent an excessive thickness of material from reaching the folding rollers and blades.

22. Ina rotary folder, folding devices to admit passage of a given thickness of material, and a member to prevent an excessive thickness of material from reaching the folding devices.

mechanism to cut off sections of the folde web or webs, a folding mechanism for crossing from said sheet-carrying cylin er, a pair folding said web sections, and means to pre-.

vent an amount of material inexcess of the mechanism.

Signed at Plainfield, in the county of Union I and State, of New Jersey,'this 14th day of Febru' 1930. V v v v mvm J. soon.

the sheet-carrying cylinder and the safetygate and to admit of its passing between the cutting cylinder and the safety-gate, and

said safety-gate having provision to admit of the unimpeded passage of the sheet-taking devices, whereby said excess of material is shredded by the sheet-taking devices and 

